Dental apparatus



Oct. 30, 1 962 M. SHARP DENTAL APPARATUS .2 Sheets-Sheet .1

Filed Jan. 118, 1960 m a w ATIOAP/YH.

O 1962 M. SHARP 3,060,579

DENTAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 unuunmwuu i",,

4: s I INVENTOR.

MARTIN SHHRP Patented Get. 30, 1962 3,060,579 DENTAL APPARATUS Martin Sharp, 5403 Gainer Road, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Jan. 18, 196i}, Ser. No. 3,178 16 (Ilaims. (CI. 32-20) This invention relates generally to dental apparatus, and more particularly relates to a device for clamping the jaw of a dental patient in a fixed position so that work may be done upon the teeth while they are held immovable. Such a clamping device is of general utility in dental Work and is of particular value when used in conjunction with dental apparatus of the type described in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 756,847. This invention may be considered to be an improvement over the clamping apparatus shown as part of the structure of the aforesaid co-pending application.

In the carrying out of mouth rehabilitation work, it is frequently necessary to be able to insure that the particular tooth or teeth being worked upon are maintained immovable in a desired position in order that drilling and grinding operations may be carried out with precision. Since the jaw structure of individuals varies quite widely from person to person, it is important that the clamping apparatus be provided with a range of adjustment sufficiently large so as to encompass all possible variations in jaw size and tooth positioning within the jaw. At the same time, the feature of adjustability must be achieved in an apparatus having the ability to provide a secure clamp action regardless of its adjusted position.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel dental clamp apparatus securable to the jaw of a dental patient which holds the jaw fixedly in position so as to allow for the highest degree of precision possible in the drilling and grinding of teeth.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel dental clamping apparatus for clamping the jaw of a dental patient in a fixed position by employing a primary jaw clamp assembly which secures the jaw to a fixed reference point, together with the use of auxiliary clamps which further secure the jaw to the primary jaw clamp.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel dental clamping apparatus employing primary and auxiliary clamps both of which include positionally adjustable parts elfective to provide a secure clamping action for jaw structures of widely divergent sizes and shapes.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with an examination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view illustration of the jaw clamp assembly according to the invention showing both the primary clamp and auxiliary clamps in clamping engagement with the teeth of the lower jaw of a dental patient;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly and teeth illustrated in plan in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a central fragmentary end elevational View of the apparatus according to the invention as would be seen when viewed along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4- is an enlarged vertical central sectional view taken through the apparatus of FIGURE 1 as would be seen when viewed along the lines 44 thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view such as would be seen when viewed along the lines 5- 5 of FIGURE 4 and illustrates the means for securing the center support of the primary clamp assembly in a non-rotational manner to a supporting plate to which it is affixed;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View through the end portion of one arm of the primary clamp assembly as would be seen when viewed along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the auxiliary tooth clamps illustrated in the showing.

of FIGURE 1 and as would be seen when viewed along the lines 77 thereof, the auxiliary clamp being illustrated as mounted upon one arm of the primary clamp;

FIGURE 8 is a plan sectional view of the auxiliary tooth clamp illustrated in the showing of FIGURE 7 and as would be seen when viewed along the lines 83 thereof;

FIGURE 9 is a central vertical sectional view through the auxiliary tooth clamp illustrated in FIGURE 8 and as would be seen when .viewed along the lines 9? thereof, some portions being shown in section and other portions in elevation;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view through the auxiliary tooth clamp as illustrated in FIGURE 9 and as would be seen when viewed along the lines Ill-10;

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view through the auxiliary tooth clamp of FIGURE 9 as would be seen when viewed along the lines 11-11 thereof.

In the several figures like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Referring first to the showings of FIGURES 1 through 6, and principally to FIGURES l and 2, it is seen that the primary jaw clamp assembly includes a T-shaped center support having a pair of laterally opposite extending arms 23 and a central depending stem portion 21, the lower end of the stem portion 21 terminating in a threaded stud 22 projected through and secured to an underlying base plate 24 by means of the nuts 25. Each of the center support arms 23 is horizontally slotted at its extremity to receive the broad end of a horizontally swingable clamp arm 23 pivotally secured within the slots by means of the pins 29. Each of the swingable clamp arms 28 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced key holes 30 by means of which the crescent shaped hooks 31 may be detachably secured to the clamp arms 28 at a desired position along the arm length. The detail of FIGURE 6 most clearly indicates the manner of attachment to the clamp arm 28 of the crescent shaped hooks 3-1. In this figure, it is observed that each of the hooks 31 is provided with a headed stud 32 adapted to be projected downward through the large part of the key hole 30 and then slipped rearwardly so that the head of the headed stud 32 underlies the narrow part of a key hole 30 while the stud projects therethrough.

As best seen in the showings of FIGURES 1 and 4, a shaft 33 is threaded through the T-shaped center support and has secured to its forward end, by means of a swivel 34, a wedge 35 adapted to be brought into engagement with the central incisors 37 as the shaft 33 is rotatably advanced by means of the knurled knob 36. Completing the structure of the primary clamping assembly is the means for preventing swinging of the entire clamp assembly relative to the base plate 24 as best seen in the showings of FIGURES 4 and 5, wherein it will be observed that the threaded stud portion 22 of the center support is provided with a vertically extending slotted keyway 26 designed to receive the end of the pin 27 projected thereinto through an edge hole drilled in the base plate 24. The length of the stud 22 is sufficient to allow for vertical adjustment of the entire primary clamp relative to the base plate 24 by loosening and tightening the nuts 25.

Disregarding for the moment the auxiliary clamps 40 as seen in FIGURE 1, the primary clamp assembly is secured to the jaw of the patient by swinging the clamp arms 28 inwardly so that the crescent shaped hooks 31 may be placed behind the rear teeth 38 as illustrated,

followed by screw advancing the wedge 35 by means of the knurled knob 36 until the wedge is disposed between the central incisors. Continued turning of the knob 36' draws the hooks 31 forward into firm locking position behind the rear molars 38 and effects secure jaw clamping. In the event that one or more of the rear teeth are missing then the appropriate crescent shaped hook 31 may be moved forward for securement within one of the key holes positioned closer to the front of the mouth so that the hook 31 may be clamped about the first available tooth as viewed from the rear. Alternatively to providing the key holes 30 in both of the arms 28 it may be preferable in some instances to provide one of the arms with a continuous slot or a plurality of such slots placed end-to-end so that on one side the crescent shaped hook 31 may be positionally variable throughout a continuous range.

In some instances, as for example shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, it may even be necessary or desirable to provide additional auxiliary clamping to insure a complete immobilization of the jaw relative to the primary clamping assembly. Such a case might arise in a situation where it is not physically possible to engage one of the crescent shaped hooks 31 about a tooth in the manner shown, or perhaps in a case where the teeth are considered to be not sutficiently strong to allow the requisite clamping pressure to be applied merely by the hooks 31 and wedge Without running the risk of fracturing one or more teeth. In the latter case, the clamping pressure applied by the primary jaw clamp assembly may be lessened and the additional clamping support required may be supplied by the auxiliary clamps 40 so that although the end result of secure clamping is achieved, the clamping pressure is applied at a number of points and is of smaller magnitude at each point. Moreover, while FIGURE 1 illustrates the use of a pair of such auxiliary clamps 40, it should be understood that the primary clamp assembly may be used without such auxiliary clamps or with one, two, or even more auxiliaries as determined by the particular condition of the mouth being worked upon. FIGURES 7 through 11 illustrate in detail the structure and method of adjustment of the auxiliary clamps 40 when employed with the primary clamp assembly previously described, and attention should now be directed to this latter group of figures.

As seen generally in FIGURE 1, each of the auxiliary clamps 40 is mounted upon one of the arms 28 of the primary clamp assembly, the structure for carrying out such mounting being most clearly seen in the showings of FIGURES 7, 8 and 9. The auxiliary clamp mounting structure consists of an internally and externally threaded cylindrical sleeve 41 threadedly projected through a clamping plate 42 having a top flange 43 turned over the inside top surface of the arm 28 of the primary clamping assembly, and a knurled disc 44 adapted for rotation upon the sleeve 41 to securely clamp the arm 28 between the disc 44 and the clamping plate 42. Rotatably secured to the jaw end of the threaded sleeve 41, as by the swivel 45, is an arch 46 which extends inwardly above the associated teeth crowns and downwardly adjacent the inside surface of the teeth, being fitted proximate its inner lower end with a tooth wedge 47 adapted for positioning at the interface of a pair of adjacent teeth in the manner best seen in FIGURE 8. Coaxially aligned with the tooth wedge 47 and spaced outwardly therefrom on the cheek side of the teeth is a second tooth wedge 50 secured to one end of the threaded shaft 48 by means of the swivel 49, the shaft 48 being threadedly engaged with the internal threads of the sleeve 41, passing outwardly through the sleeve and terminating in a knurled knob 51.

The auxiliary clamp is positioned and adjusted in the following manner. Firstly, the knurled disc 44 is loosened sufficiently to allow the entire auxiliary clamp to be shifted lengthwise along the arm 28 of the primary jaw clamp assembly until the tooth wedges 47 and 50 present toward one another on opposite sides of the interface between a pair of teeth at the desired clamping location. The threaded sleeve 41 is then rotated on its axis to cause it to move outward toward the knurled knob 51 in order to cause the arch 46 to shift outward and move the tooth wedge 47 into engagement with the interface of the teeth as seen in FIGURE 8, the swivel allowing the arch 46 to shift without compelling it to rotate with the threaded sleeve 41. The knurled knob 51 is now rotated to move the tooth wedge inwardly toward the tooth wedge 47' and thus bring clamping pressure to bear, the tooth wedge 50 being allowed to move inward without rotation by virtue of the swivel mounting 49. With the teeth thus clamped, the knurled disc 44 is turned slightly to securely clamp the arm 28 of the primary clamp assembly between the clamping plate 42 and the disc 44. Thus, the auxiliary clamp 40 is secured firmly to the primary jaw clamp assembly and also to the teeth, thereby securely clamping the jaw to the primary clamp assembly.

Having now described my invention in connection with a particularly illustrated embodiment thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications may occur from time to time to those persons skilled in the art without departing from the essential spirit or scope of my invention, and accordingly it is desired to claim the same broadly as well as specifically as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient in fixed position relative to a reference structure, comprising a central support member, a pair of arms pivotally secured to spaced portions of said central support member for swinging motion relative thereto in a common plane, said arms being adapted to extend from their pivotal connections rearwardly along opposite sides of the jaw, a pair of hooks secured to each of said arms respectively and adapted to be hooked behind teeth disposed toward the rear of the mouth, first means coupled to said central support member and adjustably shiftable relative thereto for applying rearwardly directed pressure to the outer side of the incisors to clamp the jaw between said means and said hooks and to thereby secure the jaw to said central support member, and second means coupled to said central support member for securing said central support member fixedly to a reference structure.

2. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1 where in at least one of said hooks is detachable from its associated arm, and said associated arm is provided with means for securing said detachable hook thereto at any one of a number of points spaced along the arm length, whereby said hook may be positioned along said arm for clamping behind a tooth located forwardly of the position normally occupied by the rearmost tooth in a jaw.

3. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said central support member includes an internally threaded shaftway extending completely therethrough located substantially centrally between the points of pivotal securement of said arms and lying substantially in the common plane of said arms, said first means comprising a threaded shaft disposed within said shaftway and extending outwardly therebeyond, one end of said shaft having swivelly mounted thereto a wedge-shaped member adapted for engagement with the central incisors where the latter meet, and said shaft having coupled thereto a means for rotating said shaft to axially advance and retract said wedge shaped member.

4. The clamping apparatus according to claim 3 wherein at least one of said hooks is detachable from its associated arm, and said associated arm is provided with means for securing said detachable hook thereto at any one of a number of points spaced along the arm length, whereby said hook may be positioned along said arm for clamping behind a tooth located forwardly of the position normally occupied by the rearmost tooth in a jaw.

5. A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient in fixed position relative to a reference structure, comprising, a central support member, a pair of arms pivotally secured to spaced portions of said central support member for independent swinging motion relative thereto in a common plane, said arms being adapted to extend from their pivotal connections rearwardly along opposite sides of the jaw, a pair of hooks secured to each of said arms respectively and adapted to be hooked behind teeth disposed toward the rear of the mouth, first means coupled to said central support member and adjustably shiftable relative thereto for applying rearwardly directed pressure to the outer side of the incisors to clamp the jaw between said means and said hooks and to thereby secure the jaw to said central Support member, and second means coupled to said central support member for securing said central support member fixedly to a reference structure.

6, A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient in fixed position relative to a reference structure, comprising, a central support member, a pair of arms pivotally secured to spaced portions of said central support member for swinging motion relative thereto in a common plane, said arms being adapted to extend from their pivotal connections rearwardly along opposite sides of the jaw, a pair of hooks detachably swingably securable to each of said arms respectively and adapted to be hooked behind teeth disposed toward the rear of the mouth, first means coupled to said central support member and adjustably shiftable relative thereto for applying rearwardly directed pressure to the outer side of the incisors to clamp the jaw between said means and said hooks and to thereby secure the jaw to said central support member, and second means coupled to said central support member for securing said central support member fixedly to a reference structure.

7. A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient in fixed position relative to a reference structure, said apparatus including a primary clamping assembly and at least one auxiliary clamping assembly adjustably secured thereto, said primary clamping assembly comprising a central support member, a pair of arms pivotally secured to spaced portions of said central support member for swinging motion relative thereto in a common plane, said arms being adapted to extend from their pivotal connections rearwardly along opposite sides of the jaw, a pair of hooks secured to each of said arms respectively and adapted to be hooked behind teeth disposed toward the rear of the mouth, first means coupled to said central support member and adjustably shiftable relative thereto for applying rearwardly directed pressure to the outer side of the incisors to clamp the jaw between said means and said hooks and to thereby secure the jaw to said central support member, and second means coupled to said central support member for securing said central support member fixedly to a reference structure, said auxiliary clamping assembly comprising, a main support member having coupled thereto at one end an arch member adapted to non-engagingly straddle the crowns of the teeth, a pair of spaced tooth clamping members presenting toward and shiftable relative to each other along a line bridging said arch proximate its lower ends, one of said tooth clamping members being carried by said arch, means coupling said main support member to the other of said pair of tooth clamping members for adjustably positioning the latter relative to said one clamping member, and means coupled to said auxiliary clamping assembly main support member for adjustably fixedly securing said auxiliary clamping assembly main support member to one of the pivotally secured arms of said primary clamping assembly at any desired position along the arm length.

8. The clamping apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said auxiliary clamp main support member is positionally adjustable relative to the said means for securing it to 6 an arm of said primary clamp, whereby said main support member is shiftable in a direction transverse to the length of said arm.

9. The clamping apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said central support member includes an internally threaded shaftway extending completely therethrough located substantially centrally between the points of pivotal securement of said arms and lying substantially in the common plane of said arms, said first means comprising a threaded shaft disposed within said shaftway and extending outwardly therebeyond, one end of said shaft having swivelly mounted thereto a wedge-shaped member adapted for engagement with the central incisors where the latter meet, and said shaft having coupled thereto a means for rotating said shaft to axially advance and re tract said wedge shaped member.

10. The clamping apparatus according to claim 7 wherein at least one of said hooks is detachable from its associated arm, and said associated arm is provided with means for securing said detachable hook thereto at any one of a number of points spaced along the arm length, whereby said hook may be positioned along said arm for clamping behind a tooth located forwardly of the position normally occupied by the rearmost tooth in a jaw.

11. The clamping apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said auxiliary clamp main support member comprises an externally threaded cylinder and said means foradjustably securing said auxiliary clamp main support member to one of the pivotally secured arms of said primary clamping assembly comprises a two element subassembly carried by said cylinder, one element of said sub-assembly being a plate member having a threaded hole therethrough within which said cylinder is disposed and threadedly engaged therewith, said plate member extending transversely to the axis of said cylinder adjacent one edge of said primary clamping assembly arm and having a flange portion turned outward over a surface of said primary clamping assembly arm which lies in a plane parallel to the plane of swinging motion of said arm, the other element of said sub-assembly being a disc having a threaded hole therethrough within which said cylinder is disposed and threadedly engaged therewith, said disc eX- tending transversely to the axis of said cylinder adjacent the edge of said primary clamping assembly arm opposite that adjacent said sub-assembly plate member, said disc being rotated upon said cylinder to advance it toward said plate member to thereby securely clamp said arm therebetween and bind said cylinder to prevent rotation thereof relative to said arm, and said disc being counter-rotatable upon said cylinder to move it away from said plate member to release said auxiliary clamp assembly from clamping engagement with said arm and permit shifting of the entire auxiliary clamp assembly lengthwise of said arm.

12. The clamping apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said arch is so coupled to said cylinder that rotation of the latter when said auxiliary clamp assembly is released from clamping engagement with said arm causes non-rotational shifting of said arch with said cylinder in a direction transverse to the length of said arm, whereby said arch-carried tooth clamping member is also so shifted.

13. A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient to a fixed position reference structure, comprising, a main support member having coupled thereto at one end an arch member adapted to non-engagingly straddle the crowns of the teeth, a pair of spaced wedgeshaped tooth clamping members presenting toward and shiftable relative to each other along a line bridging said arch proximate its lower ends, one of said tooth clamping members being carried by said arch, means coupling said main support member to the other of said pair of tooth clamping members for adjustably positioning the latter relative to said one clamping member, and means coupled to said main support member for securing said main support member to the fixed position reference structure.

14. A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient to a fixed position reference structure, comprising, a main support member having coupled thereto at one end an arch member adapted to non-engagingly straddle the crowns of the teeth, a pair of spaced tooth clamping members presenting toward and shiftable relative to each other along a line bridging said arch proximate its lower ends, one of said tooth clamping members being carried by said arch, means coupling said main support member to the other of said pair of tooth clamping members for adjustably positioning the latter relative to said one clamping member, and means coupled to said main support member for securing said main support member to the fixed position reference structure, said main support member including an internally threaded shaftway extending therethrough, and the means coupling said main support member to said other of said pair of tooth clamping members comprises a threaded shaft disposed within said shaftway and extending outward therebeyond, the outwardly extending end of said shaft being swivelly mounted to said other of said pair of tooth clamping members, and said shaft having coupled thereto a means for rotating said shaft to thereby shift said last named tooth clamping member toward and away from said arch-carried tooth clamping member.

15. A clamping apparatus for securing the jaw of a dental patient to a fixed position reference structure, comprising, a main support member having coupled thereto at one end an arch member adapted to non-engagingly straddle the crowns of the teeth, a pair of spaced tooth clamping members presenting toward and shiftable relative to each other along a line bridging said arch proximate its lower ends, one of said tooth clamping members being carried by said arch, means coupling said main support member to the other of said pair of tooth clamping members for adjustably positioning the latter relative to said one clamping member, and means coupled to said main support member for securing said main support member to the fixed position reference structure, said main support member comprising an externally threaded cylinder, and said means for securing said cylinder to the fixed position reference structure comprising a pair of clamping elements threadedly engaged with said cylinder, said clamping elements when in clamping engagement with the reference structure preventing rotation of said cylinder and when in non-clamping engagement therewith allowing said cylinder to rotate upon and shift along its axis, said arch being so coupled to said cylinder that rotation of the latter causes non-rotational shifting of said arch, whereby said arch-carried tooth clamping member is positioually shiftable.

16. The clamping apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said main support member includes an internally threaded shaftway extending therethrough, and the means coupling said main support member to said other of said pair of tooth clamping members comprises a threaded shaft disposed within said shaftway and extending outward therebeyond, the outwardly extending end of said shaft being swivelly mounted to said other of said pair of tooth clamping members, and said shaft having coupled thereto a means for rotating said shaft to thereby shift said last named tooth clamping member toward and away from said arch-carried tooth clamping member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

